(Equestria)
Deep out in the badlands, a kingdom of its own is preparing for conquest and expansion. The ruler of this kingdom turns her eyes away from the huge army outside her castle at the sound of magic. Behind her stand three shadowy creatures, the one in middle has taken form as her kind.
This being of dark magic and shadows bows to her."You serve the darkness and the darkness hears your call."
The one to the left continues with the same voiceless speech."One of Harmony's servants has summoned beings of humankind to aid the bearers, one chosen is of your kind. The darkness you serve has one command: drain this supporter of the Element bearers and let the darkness fill his heart."
The last of the three points east."Obey and the Human turned Changeling will be yours to command."With those words, the two shadow ponies disappear, leaving behind a small cluster of black gems. The one bowing straightens up, waiting for the queen to do her next choice.
The queen hesitates for a moment. She has heard stories about the beings of shadows from her mother, she thought they were only stories of warning to be a good changeling. But she has never been good, if she had, then she wouldn't have killed her own mother and made her people into conquers instead of weaklings as her mother made them into. She smiles down at the shadow creature, feeling proud she has been allowed to stand witness and now control a being of legends. So what if she has to obey this darkness a little? It did promise her what seems to be a very important Changeling.
She calls for some of her grunts and moves out where the shadow pony pointed her to.
The shadow pony in form of her kind leads her to her target. The pony the shadow being led her to at first looked to be a normal pegasus pony, but then, by looking him in the eyes, she realized this pony is one of her kind. This is the Changeling the beings of shadows spoke about.
After have led him away from unwanted eyes, she commands her grunts to attack him. He does put up a good fight, but he is weak from not have fed for a while. Yet, he is not starving.
She checks his saddlebag and finds the reason to why and can't help but laugh at this one trying to be a good changeling. "Your foolish decision of not following your nature to feed on love will cost you dearly." She starts draining what little love he had in him to begin with. When done, she steps back, letting the being of shadows do its job.
The changeling made out of shadows forces its way into the drained changeling, chocking him and from someone who has torn her mother's throat open, this queen must admit that watching a changeling grunt twist and turn in his fight against this living darkness there is both choking him but also changing his mind to its and thus her need, that is a bit unnerving but she isn't complaining. Knowing he will soon be under her full control.
(Human world)
"Spy!" Red Heavy cries when his team Spy suddenly drops to the ground, gagging as if he is getting drowned even though they are far from water. Heavy shoots the robots there had been trying to kill the down spy, with the imminent threat over, Heavy grabs the choking spy and carries him over to Medic. "Doctor! Something wrong with Spy."
Medic turns his medigun on the man, but whatever is blocking Spy's windpipe is not going away, that must mean it's not an injury. "Take him to the infirmary." Medic tells Heavy, the big man nods and both hurry back to base. Inside Heavy carefully puts the now unconscious Spy onto the table, letting Medic do his job.
Medic turns on the medigun stationed here, setting it on low healing and cuts up Spy's throat, but there is nothing there. "So why are you choking?" He wonders out loud while letting the medigun close up the cut.
When this horrible feeling of getting chocked finally stops, Spy can finally breathe properly again, but for once that is a really bad thing. Like the one in Equestria, RED Spy has been affected by the darkness; not as much but enough that he becomes a danger to those near him. He tears out Medic's scalpel and plunges it deep into the doctor's shoulder, only his disorientation saves Medic's live "Meurs toi sale nazi! Je vais te faire crier! Je vais te faire souffrir autant que j'ai!" and he would've stuck true to his words, it not for Heavy.
"Spy!" Heavy forces the suddenly very aggressive man down, never seen him lose it like this before. "What is wrong with you?!" Spy didn't seem to hear him though, and even though he cannot France, the message is still pretty clear "Mort les nazis! vive la France!" and Spy jags the scalpel into Heavy's arm but the big man refuses to let go, even when this thrown back to the war spy is cutting up his muscle tissue.
Okay, this is starting to get bad. "He's exactly like Soldier before he got used to me." He muses and is happy Heavy got him, otherwise he and Spy might've killed one another. They have to stop it before that dead person turns into Heavy.
Said man meets his gaze, his own grey eyes worried but strangely calm for the situation. "Call Ignis." Heavy says simply. Medic nods and hurries out to find their immortal soldier.
"Ignis!" He calls the man currently blowing up a small army of robots with his fire magic. Ignis turns to him with a questioning look.
"Something very wrong with Spy" Medic swiftly explains him and asks the man to hurry. Ignis follows him back to the infirmary of the scene Spy struggling on the floor against Heavy who has steadfastly held him down even with his hands and arms filled with deep cuts and his own blood is everywhere.
It at times like this that Ignis is impressed with humans, their stubbornness can be quite admirable. "I got him." He tells the badly wounded man, Heavy nods and lets go of Spy. The Frenchman jumps to his feet, screaming his country's battle-cry with his weapon in form of a bloody scalpel raised. Ignis uses his levitation magic on him, stopping the clearly lost it Spy and forced the man back down onto the floor. "Okay, I can see what you mean." He remarks to Medic.
Medic doesn't answer right away, he is busy healing Heavy up before the man dies permanently from blood-loss. With the last cut closed. Heavy thanks him. "Thank you doctor." Medic simply nods in return and puts the medigun back onto its spot.
"Tell me what happened." Ignis says.
Medic helps Ignis restraining the still insult yelling Spy. "Well, Heavy came in with him when Spy looked like he was getting chocked, but I found nothing in his windpipe. The moment the choking stopped, he got like this."
Even though Heavy does not consider Spy a friend, he still does not want to see him distressed like this. "Anything we can do?" He asks.
For someone who can be so scary looking and brutal in a fight can so kind-hearted, that's what Medic really likes about Heavy. Turning back to Ignis in wonder what had caused Spy to snap like this. "Do you know what is happening to him?" For he has no clue and that is frustrating.
Ignis steps over to Spy, ignoring the insults about not being a proper soldier he gets from the man. He uses a tracer spell on Spy and is quite surprised what he found.
"He's been tainted by dark magic— not this man, but the other part of his soul." Ignis explains, and this is not some minor pony dark magic he senses from the man's other half. No, this is really the bad kind. "And the worst kind of it. This purer form of dark magic can twist your personality; make someone into their worst self. And with what you people see daily, the dark forces have a lot to work with. I was tainted by dark magic as well when you first met me."
"But you brushed it off like it was nothing." Medic objects.
Oh, he wishes it was that simple, Ignis thinks gloomy. "Yeah, but that's because it was a minor form of dark magic. But even with the weaker form and me being pretty powerful; I was tainted and turned into someone so unlike myself for a hundred years. Dark magic- like any other magic wears off over time. But the purer the magic: the longer the time. If I got tainted like Spy here, it would only weaken after... about a thousand years, give or take. And even though you humans do not live that long, someone tainted can do a lot of damage even in a small timescale." It was a good thing he was tainted by a weaker kind of dark magic, Ignis does still remember the horrors of what would happen if an alicorn gets tainted by pure dark magic and gets turned into the Bringer of Disharmony. This world would suffer if he ever got tainted by pure dark magic or gave into the Dark Forces.
If that is true, then Spy cannot wait it out like mister immortal here. "How do we fix it?" Medic asks him, nodding to Spy who has finally stopped throwing insults but Medic thinks he prefers that over this dark sinister stare the man is sending them.
"Some light magic should do it." Ignis replies and explains before the man asks him to throw some light magic at Spy. "Hold up, it's not that simple. Light and dark magic is not that simple. They are in tune with emotions, but I am not the alicorn you would like to play with such delicate magic."
"Why may I ask?"
"I am specialized in offensive magic, never been good at passive magic. The only passive spells I am good at is a tracker spell. If I try casting the spell needed to heal your comrade; I'll probably blow him up." Ignis explains, being a soldier he was never trained in passive magic and even an immortal like him cannot learn such kind of magic without a proper teacher.
Note to self: never let Ignis try out cooking or anything not involving fighting. "Dully noted, but can you at least tell us how Spy got tainted?" For Medic would like the others does not see his truly twisted side, they will never trust him with anything ever again- if they don't kill him on the spot that is.
Ignis sighs, this is a bit too close to home in his case. "If a bearer gets corrupted and stays for too long: the Pillar of Virtue- the strongest magic my kind has ever known- it won't work on that bearer anymore. That's why I cannot bear the Pillar of Bravery anymore. If the dark magic doesn't get purged soon, then we will have to search for a new bearer— which this ancient magic only chooses every five hundred years."
This Pillars of Virtue Ignis speaks about, could it be the same as the Elements of Harmony his dreams of that colorful place filled with just as colorful ponies spoke about? Is that place real? Medic is not sure, all he can say that this is getting serious and like the World War, Medic does not like where this is going.
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(Equestria, Sweet Apple Acres)
Okay, he must admit that the two weeks being here has flown by very fast, and yet he hasn't been doing much other than helping the local ponies with a few repairs here and there. For Engineer, this feels like a very weird vacation and, well he really likes it. It's been ages since he last could relax like this. Today, however, there is no need for him to build anything. Nope, instead, he is standing in line with everyone else, waiting to buy a mug of the Apple family's apple cider.
Sniper passes by him with his own mug in claws, noticing the Texan, the griffin stops with; "You can look forward to this, mate." Lifting the mug. "It's bloody good, and I'm not much for apples to begin with."
"Must be one helluva drink, then." Engineer remarks and is once again surprised how relaxed he has become around a RED like Sniper here. The griffin nods and says after having taken a sip of his mug. "Hopefully there will be enough, Pinkie and Demo are both pigs and hogging several mugs to themselves." and Engineer just can't do other than roll his eyes of those two. Pinkie is weirdness incarnation and Demo is a drunkard with an insatiable taste for a good drink. "I'm sure the Apples has enough." He ensures Sniper although it feels like he's more likely ensuring himself.
Sniper just shrugs.
Speaking about ensuring, Engineer knows he might be overstepping it but besides from Demo, Sniper is one of the few trapped here there have loved ones back home. "How are you faring? Worried about your parents?" Sniper tail flicks once in the sign that he did not like being asked such a question, Engineer has been spending enough time around normal cats to recognize signs of irritating. "Sorry, I shouldn't have gone there."
Sniper grumbles, if the BLU Engineer has a son who is practically held prisoner by his ex like the RED's, then he can see why Engineer wants to get home as soon as possible. "Yeah, but I can see why you are asking. You have a son too, right?" Engineer nods slowly, the feathers working as his mane drops slightly. Yeah, Sniper thought so. "Don't worry about me, my parents never wanted my money to begin with and they have been doing fine without me before." And with those words, he takes flight, something he's sure going to miss when they leave this world.
Engineer watches Sniper fly away before returning back to the line, about a half hour later, he gets to the stand and can throw in the two of the many gold coins he has earned from the many repairs he has done while being here. Young Apple Bloom pours him a mug and Engineer can now see what Sniper meant. "This is good, better what I get back home." He tells the family and does wonder if the better taste has something to do with earth pony magic. The Apples beams of his compliment but does not have time for a chat as the line is still long. Not wanting to stall those behind him, Engineer moves out of the way, taking small sips of this very delicious apple cider. He finds Medic a bit away from the line of ponies, he too has a mug of cider and is enjoying it while reading a book he borrowed from Twilight. "What are you reading doc?" Engineer asks, taking a seat beside the light grey unicorn. Still weird he has to look down at the usual taller man, but he is not complaining.
Medic chuckles lightly. "Oh you know, just a bit of research on this world's magic." Using a levitation spell to show the book pages to Engineer. "It's quite fascinating what they can do. Weather control, faster plant growth- the list goes on!" He laughs and reclaims the book. "Twilight taught me how to do a proper shield spell— it reminded me of the upercharge except this spell can protect more than just one person- or pony in our case now."
"Sounds like you're having fun." Engineer remarks, thinking that last time he saw Medic like this was when he operated the upercharge hearts into them.
Oh, Engineer has no idea! "I am starting to understand why Spy got a bit lazy finding a way home." Medic points out, yes he did take notice how much their master of espionage is very calm about being stuck here and seemed more at home among the ponies than the BLU team. "This world is awful, well welcoming," He admits and is not sure how to react to it really. He has done some terrible things, mentioned some of them by joking it to Twilight. And like any other sane person, it did freak her out and yet she accepted him faster than most people would. He's not used to someone lecturing him not to do such things. And do a small joke of their own past mistakes with an awkward smile, he's used to people calling him a nut-job with the ponder if they should shoot or run the hell away. "I'm not used to such behavior." He muses, glancing up when Archemides lands onto his head with a seed in its mouth, he doesn't need to ask where that seed comes from. He turns his eyes to a certain yellow pegasus with pink hair, she gives him a weak but sweet smile as she passes by them.
Engineer follows the doctor's gaze and is rather surprised that the shyest pony in this town has managed to befriend Medic of all people. "How in tarnation did you two become friends?" He thought Medic would scare her away the moment he opened his mouth.
"We both have an interest in birds." Medic replies, admittedly too a bit surprised that Fluttershy turned into a completely another pony the second she spotted Archemides and before he knew, they were chatting about birds.
Well, don't that beat all? Engineer thinks amused and is about to make the joke that Fluttershy might be Medic's Element of Harmony partner but before he can, Applejack's voice makes both turned humans turn to the apple cider stand.
"Sorry, everypony! That's it for today!" and the whole crowd of ponies 'aww' in disappointment. Rainbow Dash, who was the next in line flies up in front of Applejack, saying highly irritated she didn't get any cider. "Surprise, surprise. You ran out again!"
The crowd agrees with a caramel colored stallion crying out. "Yeah, you always run out!"
"Seems like this is a yearly problem." Medic remarks up to the now taller than him Engineer before he returns back to his book. Engineer, on the other hand, decides to walk over and see if he perhaps can aid the Apples with this cider shortage.
Applejack jumps onto the stand, telling the angry crowd of ponies "Hold on, everypony. We've done our best to improve supply this year-
"You always say that!" The same caramel colored stallion cries.
"And it's always true." Applejack retorts softly, explaining the other ponies. "But Apple family cider is made with love and integrity, and only the highest quality apples in Equestria. Sorry, but that recipe takes time. If you all just be patient, we'll have plenty more tomorrow." She tells the slowly leaving but still greatly irritated crowd of ponies.
Engineer walks over to them after the crowd is more or less gone "Sounds like it's a yearly issue." He remarks and asks his fellow country pony. "Anything I can do to help?"
Applejack jumps down from the stand, grateful for Engineer's offer but, "Thanks but there is nothing you can do—" A sound she did not recognizes but one Enginner did cuts their discussion short, along with everypony else turn to the approaching vehicle. "What in Equestria is that?" She asks, blinking at her fellow Southern pony when he replies. "Looks like a truck with some machine on- I wonder what it does." The horse/bird hybrid ponders out loud.
This vehicle stops right beside the Apples stand, rudely breaking part of the fence to the farm, much to Granny Smith annoyance. Two lean and tall unicorn stallions leave the vehicle.
"Well, lookie what we got here, brother of mine, it's the same in every town."
The one without a mustache says, leaping over to Berry Punch and Demo, saying in his sing-song speech. "Ponies with thirsty throats, dry tongues, and not a drop of cider to be found." Looking around as if searching for this cider, he leaps back to his brother.
"Maybe they're not aware that there's really no need for this teary despair" and the brother of that pony replies in a similar sing-song tone. "That the key that they need to solve this sad cider shortage you and I will share."
The crowd starts chattering excitedly, Berry Punch as well and looks to Demo to see if he agrees, her smile falter from the small frown the cedar brown stallion has on his face. She does turn back when the two brothers start singing:
"Well you've got the opportunity
In this very community
He's Flim
He's Flam
We're the world famous Flim Flam Brothers
Traveling salesponies nonpareil!"
"Nonpa-what?" Pinkie asks and the brother named Flim explains her but not really helping with her confusions. "Nonpareil, and that's exactly the reason why, you see. No pony else in this whole place will give you such a chance to be where you need to be" He sing-songs, passing Engineer is busier admiring the machine than listening to them. The business pony trots up to the vehicle, still in his singing voice:
"And that's a new world, with tons of cider. Fresh squeezed and ready for drinking!"
His horn lights up in green, levitating what looks like a huge vacuum pipe, on it sits his brother there sings.
"More cider than you could drink in all your days of thinking"
Rainbow Dash crosses her hoves, not convinced by that statement "I doubt that."
The two stallions start singing their little tune again, everypony but a few are moving along the tune.
Turning away from their locomotion vehicle and to the two brothers, Engineer asks curiously. "And what does this beauty do?" Taking a step back when Flam steps before him, cheerfully replies. "So glad you asked my good sir, allow us to demonstrate what Flim Flam Brothers' Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 can do."
The other brother has zipped over to Applejack, bowing down as if he has been taking lessons from Spy or something. "Young filly, I would be ever so honored if you might see fit to let my brother and I borrow some of your delicious, and might I add spell-bindingly fragrant apples for our little demonstration here?" He asks a question there honestly could've been said with fewer words.
Poor Applejack has been completely taken off guard by not only these two ponies sudden arrival but their very long speeches to draw in a crowd. "Uh, sure, I guess."
And with the permission in order, the two brothers use their unicorn magic to activate the machine there starts vacuuming up apples from one of the trees while the crowd charts for ciders. Flim puts a hoof over Engineer's shoulder, messing up the piece of armor working as his toolbox this turned human built to himself. "Now watch closely my friend."
Correcting the armor around his neck and shoulder, Engineer does, listing very closely what the other brother is saying.
"Now, here's where the magic happens. Right here in this heaving, roiling, cider-press-boiling guts of the very machine, those apples plucked fresh are right now as we speak being turned into grade-A, top-notch, five-star, blow-your-horseshoes-off, one-of-a-kind cider!" Adding to the nearby ponies. "Feel free to take a sneak peek!" Which several of them do. Engineer does as well, and getting way more out from this than the brothers might've thought.
Granny Smith steps in here, gotten enough by these two show-ponies. "Now wait, you fellers, hold it!" She stomps her hooves, lecturing the two sales ponies and the surrounding crowd.
"I guarantee that what you have there won't compare.
For the very most important ingredient.
Can't be added or done expediently.
And it's quality, friends, Apple Acres' quality and care!"
It did turn the crowd to her favor, but these two brothers are cunning and Flim is right beside her with a bottle of their cider.
"Well, Granny, I'm glad you brought that up, my dear, I say I'm glad you brought that up. You see that we are very picky when it comes to cider if you'll kindly try a cup."
Granny Smith takes a sib and must admit it is good- she realizes she agreed with them and winches in dread she did.
Seeing this Flam steps forward to the rest of the Apples in his sing-song voice.
"So whaddaya say then, Apples?
Care to step into the modern world
And put the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 to the test?"
With his brother continuing to the once again cider charting crowd.
"What do you think, folks? Do you see what the Apples can't? I see it clear as day! I know she does! So does he! C'mon, Ponyville, you know what I'm talking about!
We're saying you've got the opportunity.
In this very community.
He's Flim, he's Flam
We're the world famous Flim Flam Brothers
Traveling salesponies nonpareil!"
Apple Bloom, like the rest, so caught up in the excitement that she speeds over. "You got a deal!" She agrees without really knowing what she is agreeing fully to. Granny Smith steps in. "Not so fast!" and calls for a family meeting. Which those two unicorns rudely join without permission, the crowd did not hear what the agreement was, but a certain griffin from above did.
Sniper lands beside Demo and tells him with a quiet voice. "They are trying to con the Apples, bloody shows-ponies." Demo thought there was something fishy about them, they reminded him a bit too much about certain people there had screwed him when he was trying to sell his family's Scrumpy. "Better tell the Apples this if they agree." He whispers back. Fortunately, from the looks of it, the Apple family did not agree. But the Flim, Flam brothers clearly seems to have hoped that.
"Very well. If you refuse our generous offer to be partners, then we'll just have to be competitors." Flim declares loudly in a smug tone.
Applejack shoots him a glare. "You wouldn't dare." but they dare alright and a sign from his brother, Flam declares out to the crowd "Don't you worry, everypony! There'll be plenty of cider for all of you!" and Flim adds only to the Apples ears. "Once we drive Sweet Apple Acres out of business." Horrifying them all.
"I smell trouble." Sniper muses from how the Apple family is reacting.
Demo agrees and he would hate if something happens this sweet family of country ponies. "Perhaps I should figure out how to blow up their machine- doubt Engie would appreciate it, though." He grins wryly from how their own countryman just can't get his eyes away from that machine.
Sniper laughs at the sight as well, but like Demo, worried what those two show-ponies will do.
(Two days later.)
Trouble did indeed come to Ponyville, however not in form of a monster or a major world threat, still, the mercenaries and their new pony friends did consider it as big trouble.
The Apple family has agreed on an apple cider making contest with the Flim and Flam brothers, and if they lose then they would lose the Apple farm.
Engineer follows Applejack towards this battlefield of apple cider makers, worried for the mare and her family, but they have agreed and Engineer knows that someone cannot step down from such a challenge, only cowards do. "Good luck." He wishes the mare and heads over to join the others. On his way to his comrades, Twilight passes by him. He stops for a moment to watch the purple unicorn speak with Applejack there is currently practicing her apple bucking before he leaves the battlefield.
There he notices that Demo is holding a very pissed Soldier down with his magic, no need explaining of why. "I am inclined to let him smash those scoundrels heads in." He remarks to the RED.
Demoman nods in agreement, but that would just put the Apples in a bad light. "Aye, I might let him go at them if they start cheating." Eyeing the green pegasus when a growl escapes his clamped mouth. He gives his best pal an apologetic smile. "Sorry, but you can't kill them Solly." A disappointed mumble from the pegasus. "I will let you go if you promise not to attack them."
Soldier hesitates but does agree with a begrudgingly nod. Demo releases him and the still royal armor dressed Soldier grumbles. "The President did command me not attack her subjects..." And the last thing he wants is going against the President of America.
Demo and Engineer exchange looks, both silently happy that Celestia hired him as a royal guard, that did make it easier finding reasons for him not to go all Rambo on someone. The one-eyed pony turns back to his friend. "That's right, as much those two deserves it, we can't go against the prinses- I mean presidents orders." Engineer simply nods in agreement.
"Attention, everypony!" The mayor calls through a megaphone, the chattering crowd quiets down, letting Mayor Mare explains everyone the rules while a brown earth pony with an hourglass for cutie mark puts up a timer in form of a huge hourglass. "The teams have one hour to produce as much cider as they can, after which the barrels will be counted and the winner will be named the sole cider provider for all of Ponyville!" The crowd talk a bit back and forward about this revelation but quickly quiets down when Mayor Mare asks the two teams. "Are both teams ready." They are, each in their own way. The Apples are tense and pumped, while the Flim, Flam brothers are chilling on their couch.
Mayor Mare signs to Time-turner and he starts the timer.
The Apples hurries over to their homemade machine and the brothers yawning start their machine with their magic.
The Apples work hard, but their tactic just cannot keep up with the brothers' machine. They made one barrel while the Flim, Flam made five.
The Apples pick up the pace but they cannot keep up.
"This is just dreadful!" Rarity exclaims seeing how unfair this match is. "Even at top speed the Apples are only making one barrel to the twins' three!" She turns when Soldier steps up beside her, declaring loudly. "I do not like doing nothing when we can fight!" After having recovered from almost getting her ear blown off by this loud pony, Rarity nods in agreement.
That does give Twilight an idea, she steps over to Mayor, not noticing her friends are following. "Are honorary family members allowed to help in the competition?" She asks Major Mare.
Mayor Mare scratches her chin in ponder. "Well, I'm not sure... " She admits and decides to ask the brothers if they are alright with this. "Flim, Flam, would you object to honorary family members helping?"
"And friends." Demo says, stepping over, he cannot bear the though not helping the pony there has become his friend through the element they both carry. The others of the mercenaries step over to join the mares as well.
Flim snorts, not at all impressed so many are coming to save the Apple family from the independent doom. "Are you kidding?" With his brother remarking calmly from their couch. "We don't care if the whole kingdom of Canterlot helps. It's a lost cause." They completely ignore the death glares the stallions send them. Blissfully unaware of how dangerous that group really is.
Mayor Mare turns to the group of ponies there has requested to help. "I guess it's okay." But just to be sure, she turns to the Apple family. "Applejack? What do you think?"
Applejack stops her tiresome apple bucking to say in her great thankfulness for this offered help. "I think I would love to have the rest of my family and friends helping out." She emphasis and has to return back to the task of getting those apples down.
The group beside a few of the mercenaries cheers, those who didn't have instead a wide grin on their faces.
"In lines soldiers!" Soldier commands and the group does for once obey him, letting Twilight do her little speech. "Okay, everypony, we're not gonna let those smooth talkers take our friend's farm. Fluttershy, Demo, you two help Applejack with the trees."
"Aye."
"Got it."
"Pinkie, Engineer, Medic; you're on apple catching detail."
Pinkie salutes on Engineer's back. "Yessir, ma'am, sir!" Engineer simply nods while Medic straightens up with a rather serious and yet gleeful look on his face.
Twilight turns to her Rarity and Sniper. "You two have a discerning eye. Help Granny Smith at the quality control station.
"Of course." Rairity says, nodding along with Sniper
And lastly. "Rainbow Dash and Soldier, can you two help Big Macintosh press?"
"Yes ma'am!" Soldier salutes and Rainbow Dash declares confident. "In my sleep!"
Twilight nods and with that set. "Alright, everypony, let's save Sweet Apple Acres!"
"Alright!"
And they all run to their new stations.
Applejack kicks, Demo tackles into them because his poor dept presentation and Fluttershy flies through the leaves, shaking off the apples.
The apple catchers run around to catch the falling apples, with Medic catching those they couldn't get in time, letting Engineer bring the filled buckets to the unicorn, griffin and elderly earth pony there with their keen sense of quality sorts the good apples from the best.
Leaving it to the Rainbow Dash, Big Macintosh and Soldier- who makes a good use of his drill sergeant voice to keep up the tempo.
Twilight stands at the end of the Apple machine, using her magic to swiftly moving the fille barrels and replace them with a new to the others. Still with her magic going, Twilight does a quick calculation on how they are faring. "Based on these figures, we're making six barrels for every three of theirs!"
The crowd cheers.
Applejack stop her work for just a moment to tell her friends: "Keep it up, everypony! We're back in this!"
The Flim, Flam brothers snap out from their lazy demeanor in shock hearing this, Flim grabs his brother, urging him in a state of panic they are losing. "Come on, brother, we've gotta pick up the pace!" Flam agrees, also in a state of panic. They both shoot a beam of their magic of the machine, making it go faster.
However, with the increased power, the vacuum takes the whole tree instead of just the apples, making the control deny any apple. In their urge to win this race, they remove the quality control, making them be on top of the race again.
Rainbow Dash realizes this and leaves her post to give them a piece of her mind, before she can, Sniper tells her hard. "Keep grinding Dasher!" But her great competitive side has taken over and she snaps back to the griffin. "We don't have time for quality control if we wanna win this thing!" And flies out to snatch the barrels, Granny Smith blocks her; scowling the pegasus. "One bad apple spoils the bunch!"
Sniper leaps away from his spot and over to Rainbow, telling her hard. "She's right, do it right or don't do it all." Rainbow Dash growls but does hear reason in his voice. "Fine!" and returns to the running station, urging the two stallions. "Double time!"
And that is what they do. It goes so fast that young Apple Bloom cannot keep up, so Pinkie decides to take her place and work double time. "I got you Apple Bloom!" She says and with the barrel on her head, catches the apples Medic either haven't seen or unable to catch with his magic in time.
"Help Twilight." Demo suggests after have tackled into a tree and the exhausted filly trots over to help Twilight.
They speed up their production and did almost get up to the same pace as the brothers. So when the time runs out, the mares collapses from the workout while the mercenaries- used to work like this throughout the war games all let out a sigh of relief it is finally over, to then send the two piles of barrels a worried glance.
"I'm proud of you, Applejack." Twilight tells the orange mare, Applejack breathes out an exhausted thanks, smiling weakly of Twilight doing a small speech- " Integrity like that will always be rewarded." So to her horror:
"Flim and Flam win!" Mayor Mare declares, much to everyone except the brothers' shock.
Of course, only the brothers smears the victory into the Apples noses. "Guess you'll just have to find a new line of work that doesn't match your names quite so... perfectly." Flam taunts the Apples, again not seeing a green pony looks ready to kill them if not for that brown unicorn and horse/bird hybrid holding him back.
"Now should we tear down all these tacky old buildings and put up new ones, brother?" Flim asks pointing at the Apple's farm, completely ignoring the angry scowls and heartbroken stares they got from the Apple family. They just continue on smearing this into their faces. "I don't see why not, brother. After all, this isn't Sweet Apple Acres anymore. How about 'Flim Flam Fields'?" Flam asks and with of spark of his magic, makes a sign of them appear above the Apple family's stand.
Rainbow Dash has heard enough from these two. "I ought to press you into jerk cider!" She yells furious at them and would probably have kicked a few of their teeth out if not Applejack stops her.
"No, Rainbow Dash. A deal's a deal."
The brothers start laughing, making this harder for Applejack, but she does honor her words. "Congratulations to you all. The cider business in Ponyville... is yours." She declares with a broken heart, more so when this means they no longer can stay here. "Come on, Apples. Let's go pack up our things..."
The brothers turn to the quietly crying crowd, telling them cheerfully. "Fear not, everypony, there's more than enough cider to go around."
The crowd does not move, all quietly agreeing this feels wrong.
Noticing this Applejack tells the towns pony that it's alright, there is, after all, no need for them to stop buying cider because of them. "It's okay..." Reluctantly the towns ponies move over to the brothers stand.
Applejack turns to leave but stops when Sniper suddenly is before them with a grin on his face, before she can tell him she has gotten mocked enough for today, the griffin says. "There is no need for you leaving Sheila. They forgot one important rule."
Applejack blinks, turning to her friends as if they know what the griffin is talking about, they don't but do curious turn to watch the town's ponies drink the brothers' cider- to spit it out in disgust. There Applejack realizes what Sniper has meant and now she too cannot help but grin watching Flim and Flam's bad quality cider won't sell them anything or keep them afloat for that matter. And before they know, the Flim, Flam brothers leave town.
Sniper smirks to this orange Texan pony. "Do it right or don't do it at all." She returns it with a wide smile. "Darn right!"
Twilight gasps in delight. "That means Sweet Apple Acres is still in business!" Jumping in excitement along with her cheering friends and also joins Demo, Pinkie and Soldier's silly victory dance.
"Now don't that beat all?" Engineer laughs walking up beside Applejack and Sniper, those two both chuckle in agreement. Turning their heads of Apple Bloom declaring to the crowd.
"Because of this silly competition, we've made enough of our cider for the whole town!" Which the whole town is more than happy to hear about, and everypony can enjoy a good drink of true quality cider, yes, even Rainbow Dash.
The moon has just appeared in the sky when the last barrel has been emptied and everyone can go home very satisfied of this small apple cider party.
Applejack wishes her friends a good night and along with her family and house guest, returns back home to the farm.
"This whole contest got me thinking."
Applejack eyes the pale yellow stallion, curious what is on his very constructive mind. Engineer meets her eyes with his grey ones. "The Flim, Flam brothers might have been mongrels, but they did make quality cider before they decided to cheat."
Applejack frowns, not sure what he is getting at. "I'm not following."
He smiles weakly but is kind enough to get to the point. "I can build your own Super Speedy Cider Squeezy; one there will make quality apple cider. All you will have to do is bring it apples."
"You can do that?" Apple Bloom asks with excitement in her filly eyes, it does fade slightly when Granny Smith cuts it. "And how can you be sure it will be Apple family Cider quality, huh?"
Engineer meets her suspicious gaze. "Well, I was hoping you could help me on that, ma'am."
Granny Smith ponders on it for a moment, but the choice comes rather quickly. Engineer here has shown to be a pony to trust and she must admit she is getting a bit too old to keep up with the town's demand for apple cider. She smiles and asks. "And what would you like in return, hm?" After all, a deal has to benefit both sides.
"You give me the materials for the machine, a barrel of the cider and we're set." Engineer says, thinking that them housing and giving him delicious food is more than enough for this machine. The barrel cider will go to the team, they do all like do a drinking party once and a while.
Granny Smith offers him her hooves. "That's a deal." He gently hits his against hers and can't wait for tomorrow. It's been long since he last was this inspired to build a new contraption.